Elena Wynter (of Alfyre)
Elena (Wynter) (pn. El-ay-nah) Nickname: 'Lena Elena Wynter was found as a three year old child in the western fringes of the Forest of Dean (about 4 km south of the Moir River). She was found covered in dirt, her hair a tangled mess and unresponsive to human speech (thought to be mute). Although dirty and obviously malnourished, she was not in need of immediate medical attention and was taken to Arbor, the closest city, where she was taken in for the night by a large orchardist family (in the hopes that being with children might make her more relaxed/spur her into speaking). While being bathed with the other children, a prominent birthmark on her left hand emerged (under the dirt) and her status as Wynter Marked was revealed. Unfortunately, Elena failed to respond verbally although she seemed to understand what others were saying. She was named Elena on her third day with the family when outside tending to the family’s orchard. Both parents and two of the seven children tended to the earth magically and had obvious Vashka tendencies. Mimicking her foster family, Elena placed her hands at the base of the tree in front of her and closed her eyes. Instead of balancing nutrients in the soil as her new foster siblings did, Elena began to glow. Her foster family, although as first worried about the finicky nature of the Sharuka Elena was ‘tending’ and concerned about her possible Eldre affinity, were surprised when instead of alighting (as expected), the plant Elena tended spontaneously fruited two months out of season instead. Thus, the family named her Elena Wynter, Elena meaning ‘shining light’ and Wynter for obvious reasons. Elena attended the local school (a neighbouring family’s house) with the other children under the age of 10, where she still did not respond verbally. Most other children who attended were showing early signs of magic, but aside from her first burst of ‘glowing’ Elena seemed human- despite being marked. It was found that Elena was not mute, but instead refused to speak, as she was heard quietly sounding out magic related terms in a corner when the other children were playing. Elena’s teacher was unable to assess her level of education due to the fact that Elena also refused/showed no interest in writing or completing set tasks (this also meant that Elena could not be evaluated for dominant hand through writing/drawing). Elena was punished daily for this refusal (with chores and other set tasks) and accepted these punishments seemingly without complaint. However, it was noted that she always saved chores in the main rooms whenever the children were being taught about magic or the history of. Some children tried to note which hand Elena used the most when cleaning/scrubbing or tried to trick Elena into throwing objects in childish games, however, Elena used both hands interchangeably for all activities making the discernment of her dominant hand impossible. Soon after her tenth birthday, Elena being the only Wynter marked child of Arbor, was taken by horse to Wylloh where she was then transported by ferry to Wynter’s Isle. Although she was no trouble for any of the people who undertook her care, those in Arbor breathed a sigh of relief at her departure. The day after her arrival on Wynter’s Isle, Elena was found by the monarch in the library surrounded by books, paper and a selection of paints she had taken from the room she was staying in (a room fitted for a child of 10). On seeing the monarch’s arrival, Elena stood and handed him a piece of paper which featured a horizon, a rounded mountain, a valley and a blue ‘sky’. the Monarch commented on the colour of this ‘sky’ but Elena quickly informed him, verbally, that he was holding the image upside down and gestured with her left hand. The page lifted from the Monarch’s grasp and turned itself rightist up for him. After righting it, she explained that her drawing was Alfyre. The ‘valley’ and ‘hill’ were the flowing nature of magic and the line’s incline representative of the land’s geography itself. She explained in direct terms that the white represented those who were Wynter Blessed and the Blue as those who were human. Where Wynter Blessed drew their power from Wynter herself, humans drew strength from the world around them. Where white was pure, blue was free from responsibility. Her voice was strong, steady and she spoke without a stutter- her vocabulary outstripping those who she spent the last few years with. The image, and her confident use of her left hand told the monarch all he needed to know. By the end of the day, the monarch had announced his successor and sent copies of the image to all towns and cities of Alfyre with the direct instruction that it be used as the country’s sigil and flag. Elena’s power didn’t grow in strength as she aged, as most (name?)’s did, instead simply her knowledge grew with every story, book and eventually person she managed to read. The monarch was unable to classify Elena as having any given affinity, she was an anomaly and seemed to be able to do, magically, whatever she read/or was told was possible or that had been done before (and then some). Her power was not infallible, she grew tired after extreme feats (such as mentally reaching out to the Lady of Aleyha or growing a plant from seed to 6 month maturity in just a few minutes) however, the fact that her power had no boundaries in terms of what she could do, easily made her the most powerful (name?) to have existed in Alfyre’s history. When Elena reached her late teens she stopped maturing physically and her facial features remained young and innocent for many years. On her 20th birthday, the first monarch of Alfyre died at the age of 76 and Elena took his place as Alfyre’s sovereign leader. Elena was known as a kind and thoughtful person of very little words. Successive students of Wynter’s Isle, after reaching their maturity and leaving, would tell stories of Elena’s bottomless gaze which seemed to see right through them. However, they’d also tell stories of how Elena, though ageing, would still play hide and seek, paint and draw with the younger children and still delighted in the first snow; her youthful appearance often not conveying her unfathomable wisdom, knowledge, power and age. Elena’s reign offered Alfyre many things. Her rule settled the differences between Dummare and Alehya, she instated the two ruling councils and helped to construct both the fortified nature of Beacon and the deep trenches of Dummare, opening the country to international ocean trading. Elena’s intervention and mediation between the humans and (name?)’s of Alfyre allowed both species to coexist in some of the central townships and cities. Some said that her almost childish nature, and willingness to suggest child-like fantasies allowed both sides to reflect on their own dealings and reach amicable solutions to previously unresolved issues. Elena also established the defined moral code which is now shared between both humanoid species of Alfyre. This code is lore among all residents of Alfyre and has allowed for a peaceful coexistence and resolution to issues in many town-level situations. Although Elena was not the first monarch of Alfyre, she would categorically be known as the most important and most revered ruling monarch of Alfyre’s history, as it was agreed on both sides that without Elena’s intervention, residents of Dummare and Alehya may never have been able to coexist.